


Hypothermia

by Snowy_Snowflake



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Angst, D.I.C.E. - Freeform, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, M/M, Poor Kokichi..., Protective Shuichi, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy Kisses, injuries, this was supposed to be short, yet here we are
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-01-04 13:46:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18344885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowy_Snowflake/pseuds/Snowy_Snowflake
Summary: After completing a mission with D.I.C.E., Kokichi starts his long walk home to his and his boyfriends house to cuddle and get some well deserved rest. However, that plan falls apart when a snowstorm hits and he’s still stuck outside. It’s a race against the clock that shows no mercy.





	1. Vengeful Winter

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This took me way too long to finish ^^" But I hope you all enjoy this! To be honest, I've been a little nervous about posting this, but I hope it's good enough! ~Snowy

Gentle snowflakes danced and twirled in the sky lazily, floating down without a care in the world. The dim light from the lampposts had bathed the snow in a golden glow, making the sight seem almost ethereal. 

Among the soft snowflakes and 14 inches of snow already on the ground was the echo of 10 sets of footsteps and playful banter. “Come on Mira, you just _had_ to get chased by pigeons _again_.” Veera, the girl with the front half of her chest nearly exposed and scarf pushed to the side teased the girl with brown, short pigtails. 

“It’s not my fault! Pigeons just love me and enjoy playing tag with me!” Mira, ever the optimist replied, twirling as her dress-like top swished along with her. 

“You got pecked 8 times…” Pigtails quietly added, playing with her long strands of hair. 

“I don’t even know how that’s possible, Pigeons aren’t active during the night.” Sideswipe sighed, flicking away the hair that covered his eye. 

“What kind of plane of luck do you exist on?” Twister looked at her incredulously, shaking his head. His cone like hair shook with him, but it magically didn’t lose shape. 

“But hey, good job on doing the impossible!” Grin gave her a thumbs up, stroking his goatee. 

“Stop being so mean to me!” Mira huffed, puffing out her cheeks. 

“Bird-brain…” Veera muttered under her breath, rubbing her hands together to gain more warmth. 

“You’ve been awfully quiet, what do you think Leader?” Ace, the tallest member on the team questioned as he raised a brow at him. 

Kokichi didn’t hear him, he was too preoccupied with looking down at his phone, smiling like he was on top of the world as he walked on the stonewall next to them. “Uhm...Leader?” Ace asked, slightly louder this time. 

“Huh?” Kokichi looked up, quickly pocketing his phone with a light pink blush on the tips of his ears. 

“Aww! You were texting your boyfriend, weren’t you? That’s so cute!” Mira clapped her hands, completely forgetting about the previous argument. 

“You’re such a lovesick puppy, you know that?” Veera smirked. 

“No I wasn’t! I was texting some of the Yakuza leaders under my control! Tomorrow they take out the greatest threat to my command.” Kokichi ominously claimed, his cloak fluttering behind him. 

“From what exactly?” Shad mused, stroking back his black hair. 

“Well obviously—” _*Bzzt!*_ Kokichi paused, then eagerly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Once he saw the text, he had a lovesick, dopey smile on his face. 

_Shumai <3: Alright Koko...but promise me you’ll get home safely, this snowfalls supposed to get worse and I don’t want you to get sick _

_Me: Nee-heehee! Calm down my beloved, stop worrying so much! I’m the Ultimate Supreme Leader! A little snow can’t hurt me, I promise!_

_Shumai <3: I know...I just worry. Be careful, ok? _

_Me: Fine, fine! I promise I will!_

_Shumai <3: Thank you _

_Me: Wooooow not even an “I love you” so meaaaan!! >:( _

_Shumai <3: *Sigh* I love you _

_Me: Did you just type out a sigh?_

_Shumai <3: Didn’t you just type out your laugh? _

_Me: ...I love you_

_Shumai <3: I love you too, my little leader <3 _

_Me: Shuuuu! >:( _

_Shuichi <3: Haha, you’re so cute :)_

The D.I.C.E. members all shot each other gentle looks, enjoying how they could see pure happiness and an embarrassed blush on their Leader’s face. 

With an affectionate smile, Kokichi turned off his phone and placed it in his back pocket. “Just got done with the Yakuza! My enemies will be obliterated by tomorrow.” Kokichi jumped off the stonewall, causing his cape to flourish behind him like shadowy wings. 

“Look, home’s up ahead.” Whisper, the widest but by far the kindest member pointed to the metal building that already had a dusting of snow on it. 

“Warmth at last!” Veera cried out in relief, racing towards their base. 

“Last one there has to start the fire and do the laundry!” Kokichi cheered, running as fast as he could. 

“Careful! It’s slippery!” Ace called after them. Kokichi simply stuck out his tongue at him as the other D.I.C.E. members sprinted ahead. 

* * *

“Aww, looks like Ace is last!” Kokichi snickered once he got inside. Ace rolled his eyes but still had a smile nonetheless. “Don’t just stand there, make the fire! U-unless you w-w-want us to f-freeze! I-is that _*Sniff*_ your plan!?” Kokichi’s eyes filled with crocodile tears, expression shifting once again. 

Ace shook his head, used to his antics by now. “I’m going, I’m going.” Ace declared, ruffling Kokichi’s hair which earned him a pout. 

Once Ace started making the fire, the rest of the D.I.C.E. members got changed into comfortable clothes to unwind and relax after having just gone out on a mission. After Ace finished and Veera passed out the hot chocolate, everyone sat down and got cozy in the living room. Kokichi sat in a white velvety chair while the others fixed themselves on the black and white rug and various couches and chairs scattered around the room. 

Everything was peaceful and calm, a relaxed energy spread around the room like the smell of the hot chocolate. Kokichi drank the whole thing in one gulp, a satisfied smile on his face. “I take it you liked it?” Shad questioned. 

“Bleh! No way! What did you put in here Veera? Poison!?” Kokichi made a gagging noise and grabbed his throat, mimicking choking noises. 

“Whoops, that was supposed to be for Mira. But...that works too.” Veera teased, giving him a motherly smirk. 

“Hmmph! I told you she was after me.” Mira huffed, crossing her arms. 

“H-hey uhm...Leader?” Pigtails timidly piped up. 

“Hmm?” Kokichi tilted his head in question. She froze up a little at the sudden attention, but willed herself to speak. 

“D-didn’t you say that you were supposed to be somewhere? It’s getting pretty late a-and the snow’s getting heavier.” Kokichi’s eyes widened by a fraction, mouth dropping slightly. 

“You shouldn’t go now, it’s too late and the snow’s getting worse.” Twister warned. 

“Nee-heehee! A little snow won’t slow me down. Besides, your Supreme Leader of evil can handle a few little snowflakes.” Kokichi put down his mug and started to get up. 

“Are you sure?” Sideswipe frowned in concern. 

“Nope!” Kokichi chirped with a cheerful smile. Sideswipe gave him an unamused expression, lips forming a tight line. “That was a lie!” Kokichi proclaimed, placing his mug in the sink. 

“You should stay here, Shuichi would be upset if you caught a cold.” Grin reasoned, watching him as he haphazardly threw off his cape and hat into the laundry. 

“Stop mother henning me! That’s Shuichi’s job!” Kokichi huffed as he hurriedly made his way towards the door. 

“Right, right. Just be careful, it’s slippery.” Shad reminded. 

Kokichi waved a hand dismissively at them and walked out the door. In fact, he was in such a rush to get home that he forgot his jacket. 

* * *

Kokichi walked down the long, shadowy trail in the park, admiring how the snowflakes kept coming down like an endless waterfall, covering everything in its wintry blanket and how the snow made the Sakura trees look like they had pristine, white blossoms. 

In fact, he got so caught up in the beauty of this winter wonderland that he barely realized it was starting to grow heavier and fall a lot faster. He picked up his pace. “I-it’s so c-cold. H-how could I f-forget my jacket wh-when it’s like th-this?” Kokichi muttered, rubbing his shoulders and arms to warm up. 

The constant shaking of his legs wasn’t helping him move any faster and he was starting to get anxious from the snow. “I’m nearly h-halfway th-there...come o-on. Wh-when you get i-inside you’ll w-warm up. D-don’t make _him_ w-worry, K-Kokichi.” He told himself sternly, imagining the toasty fire and safety of Shuichi’s arms. 

However, that thought was extinguished when a sharp gust of wind blew past him, piercing through what little clothing he had, soaking his bones with an icy chill and clawing at his skin with frigid fingers. Kokichi shook violently, realizing that everywhere he looked was nothing but white. Panic started to set in as warning bells began to ring in his head, telling him to _run_ and _find Shuichi_. Kokichi was probably almost there, he didn’t want to call poor Shuichi and make him have a panic attack because Kokichi decided to be stupid when rushing outside without a jacket in the middle of a snowstorm. Not to mention that when he got home he would most likely face some gentle scolding from being out so late in a _blizzard_. 

Kokichi shook his head, swallowing back nerves and instead focusing on curling up by his partners side and sharing sweet kisses while cuddling by the fire. With such a high reward at the end, Kokichi broke out into a blind run, trying to ignore the panic wrapping around his neck in a choke hold. 

Everything around him was bathed in a fatal blanket of white, snow rained down from the sky, enveloping his vision with nothing but white. The wind howled and roared all around him, blowing his hair in all different directions and piercing through his already frozen skin. The snow had drenched his clothes and numbed his limbs, forcing a deep, gnawing cold to settle into his bones, chilling him from the inside out. 

Yet he still ran, and ran, and ran, legs scrambling to keep up as he trudged through the foot deep snow under the cover of the Sakura trees. Kokichi had just entered the final stretch of the Sakura trees, eyes strained ahead of him in a futile effort to see anything more than 2 inches in front of his face. He just had to get past this last grove, then he could run into the arms of his lover and everything would be fi— 

Kokichi was so caught up in the overwhelming panic that he wasn’t watching where he was going. 

In mere moments... _Kokichi’s foot landed on a patch of black ice._

Time seemed to go in slow motion as up became down and down became up, his body helplessly trying to right itself but his efforts were useless. 

“W-WOAH!” _*THUD!* *CRACK!!*_ Kokichi’s feet slid forward as his body lurched backward and the back of his head bashed into the concrete, sending him sprawling across the icy covered ground. 

Kokichi lay flat on his back, staring up at the white that consumed his vision and shadowy trees that creaked ominously in the wind. He blinked. Once. Twice. Three times before the past seconds caught up to his woozy and muddled mind. 

The world spun around him like a sick and twisted carousel, environment flitting in and out of his vision as the snow swirled around him almost mockingly. “Uuuugggghhhh…” Kokichi turned over on his stomach and weakly picked his head up, confusion and ringing overtaking his senses. Almost instantly, blood poured down his head and stained the snow underneath him. “H-huh?” Kokichi whimpered in agony as the ringing drastically increased and his vision went double. 

“I...I hafta...ge’up...I…” Kokichi’s arms moved to push himself up, struggling immensely with the small action. “C-can’t...sta’ere...can’t…” Kokichi’s shaking arms collapsed under the weight, sending him face planting into the cold, hard, ground. 

“Nnnngh…” Kokichi whimpered, trying again and again to pick himself up off the ground because _Supreme Leaders aren’t weak_. “Ge’up!” He yelled at himself in frustration, as if simply saying that command would allow him to stand. 

Suddenly, an obnoxious buzzing rang in his ears, blocking out all noise around him. Panic flooded his senses as his limbs started to go numb and no longer work. He had to get up. He had to see Shuichi. He couldn’t die. Not here, not until he saw Shuichi one final time. 

One last spike of adrenaline rushed through him, giving him enough strength to push himself up and stand on wobbly legs. Kokichi felt like a baby deer learning how to walk for the first time with the way his legs seemed to disobey him. 

He took one unsteady step forward, only realizing his grave mistake a moment too late. _*Thump!*_ A wave of despair came crashing into him, drowning him in the awful truth of reality. It was obvious that Kokichi couldn’t take another step, much less run for that matter. It was all over. Kokichi’s legs collapsed from under him, sending his face into the ground again. 

A whimper escaped his throat, tears streaking down his face like the cold, unforgiving snow. “Sh-Shuichi...m’sorry…m’so srry...” Kokichi slurred, struggling to stay awake and not give in to the exhaustion his brain was draping over his eyelids like curtains. Kokichi held back a choked sob, wanting more than anything to scream or cry or do anything other than lay there helpless as the cold wrapped its strong, icy arms around him in a deadly blanket. 

Kokichi had never felt more exhausted in his life. He just wanted to shut his eyes and sleep, to block out the painful _hissing_ and _buzzing_ that was going on in his head. Kokichi’s head was pounding and pulsing with every second he clung onto consciousness. He just wanted it all to stop. He just wanted to get away from this agony. 

_...No! I...I need to stay awake...can’t sleep...I need...to hold on...just a few...more….minutes._ Kokichi flopped over on his side, feeling something press into his side. Kokichi’s eyes widened, realizing there was _something_ he could do. 

With a shaky hand, Kokichi reached into his pocket for his phone, pulling it out with extreme difficulty. Kokichi opened the phone and instantly found Shuichi’s contact, fingers way ahead of him to type out a desperate message for help. His hand dragged over the keys, vision so blurry he couldn’t see any of the letters. 

_Me: Shiuh i hel b i tih nk i nee b togo t t he hop it a [Send]_

Kokichi didn’t know if the sentence was even comprehensible, but that didn’t matter. All he had to do now was send the message and everything would be fine. He raised up a trembling hand, fingers so close yet so far from the small, blue button that could change everything. 

Unfortunately, before he could his vision suddenly shifted to red, pink blood oozed down his forehead and into his eyes, obscuring his sight and bringing his hand to wildly swing downwards next to the cold metal. “N...no…! M’so...close…! Only...a...lil’...farth...er…” He was _so close._

Kokichi’s body, however, had other plans and decided to retaliate against him for disobeying the need to sleep. Kokichi’s head amplified the awful noises to deafening levels, his vision swam and grew dark, and his limbs fell to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. 

He couldn’t get up. He couldn’t _move._ His head was screaming at him, his eyes were stinging, and he felt so, so... _cold._ He couldn’t fight it anymore, the pain was just getting to be _too much, too much, too-much-toomuchtoomuchtoomuch—_

With an anguished whimper, Kokichi succumbed to his internal battle and collapsed in a heap of agony, head falling back to the cold ground. 

The last thing he saw before his vision went dark was the hazy, white light his phone gave off and the cruel Sakura trees swaying in the wind.


	2. Don't go!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little warning, Shuichi has a bit of an anxiety attack so if you feel uncomfortable please skip! Stay safe!!

Shuichi paced back and forth, hands in his pockets as he stared out the window intently. He couldn’t see anything but white. “Where are you…?” Shuichi mumbled to himself, worry gripping his heart and squeezing it painfully. 

Distantly, the sound of the T.V. station played in the background, the weather reporters endlessly drawling on about the snowstorm. _“...With the temperature of -7.2 degrees Celsius (19 degrees Fahrenheit) and the wind speed reaching 61 kph (38 mph) we have gotten the report to classify this as a blizzard. We advise everyone to stay inside and grab a blanket, hypothermia is easy to catch out in this weather because it’s only going to get worse. In case of a power outage snuggle up with a loved one or move someplace out of the cold. Stay safe and stay warm, more updates in the future.”_

Shuichi stared at the T.V. with a look of horror on his face, pupils turning into pinpricks as the fear set in. “...Only going to get worse?” He repeated absentmindedly, hands shaking like crazy. 

A crushing feeling of panic and concern built up in his chest, making him feel as if he was carrying a giant, invisible weight. “Ok, ok...calm down. He might’ve just stayed with D.I.C.E. or he’s taking shelter somewhere.” Shuichi tried to think logically, but there was that gut-wrenching feeling, an emptiness that formed in the pit of his stomach that only grew. 

Something was _wrong._

“I should call him, just in case.” Shuichi mumbled to himself as he quickly walked over to the counter and grabbed his phone, fingers stumbling over Kokichi’s contact to uncover the truth. 

_No new messages._

That single observation rang through his head, shattering his world like a mirror. “C-calm down, he m-might be asleep. Don’t jump to conclusions so quickly.” Shuichi scolded himself, fingers hesitantly moving towards the call button. After several seconds of uncertainty, he pressed it, biting his lip in nervousness. 

_*Ring...Ring...Ring…*_ “Pick up, Kokichi, pick up.” Shuichi pleaded. 

_*...Ring...Ring...Ring...Click!*_ “Heeeey! Supreme Leader of evil speaking!” Kokichi’s voice came from the other end of the line just as cheery as ever. Shuichi was going to kill him for making him worry so much. But once Shuichi heard that voice, that loving, mischievous, sweet voice that he had woken up to everyday made all the anxiousness melt away like magic. 

“Kokichi! I was so, so worried! Where are you?! Are you safe— a-are you ok!? I-I thought you were—” 

_“At the tone please record your message. Once you have finished recording you may hang up, or press 1 for more options.”_ A mechanical voice recited. 

...What. “...N-no way.” Shuichi whispered breathlessly, the panic from before had come back full force, slamming into him like a tidal wave and drowning him from the inside. _That was his voicemail. M-meaning…_ Shuichi shook his head, banishing the thought. 

He tried again and again and again, but he still didn’t get an answer. He was just about to go into a full blown panic attack when he remembered another solution. “D.I.C.E.! He could be inside and _safe_ with D.I.C.E.” A spark of hope ignited within him, realizing there was one more option. 

With an even shakier hand, he found the contact and pressed it. It only rang twice before it got picked up. “Wha…? Shuichi? Why’re you calling so late, it’s… _*Yawn*_ 11 at night.” A groggy voice, presumably Ace replied. 

“Who’s calling so late!? I’m trying to get my beauty sleep!” Another voice angrily yelled. 

“Veera be quiet!” Sideswipe shushed her. 

Ace sighed. “Anyway, what’s up?” 

Shuichi wasted no time and immediately launched into a flustered jumble of words. “I-it’s Kokichi! Is he over there?! H-he’s n-not answering his phone and I don’t know wh-where he is!” Shuichi’s words held desperation and terror, Ace could immediately tell that something was horribly wrong. 

“...No. He left about an hour ago. Are you saying he’s not with you?” Ace clarified slowly. 

“He’s not with you!? I-I...oh no. Th-this can’t be— What if he—!? He’s not with you—! I—” Shuichi’s breathing began to shorten and his throat closed up. His mind barely registered the sound of someone yelling and more footsteps, the only thing he could focus on was his heart beating too fast and he felt like he was choking and— 

“Shuichi, calm down. Take deep breaths.” A quiet, reassuring tone snapped him out of his hysteria. Shuichi took a few moments to calm down, focusing on his breathing. Once Pigtails heard him breathing normally again, she spoke. “Good. Now tell us what happened, _slowly._ ” 

He shook his head, trying to get himself back together. “I-I...I t-texted Kokichi to come b-back home before th-the snow got any worse. A-and I got concerned because it’s already been an hour so I called him b-but I just got sent to voicemail. S-so then I called you guys because I thought he might be over there buthe’snotandwhatifhe’soutside!?” 

“Shuichi, hey, deep breaths.” Pigtails reminded, tone emotionless but held a hint of distress in her words. 

Shuichi nodded, sinking down to the wood floors to get a grip on himself. “O-ok. I’m f-fine now. I’m fine.” Shuichi clutched his racing heart, desperately trying to breathe without feeling like he was choking. 

Shuichi heard talking and footsteps on the other line as well as hushed whispers and shocked gasps. “So let’s get this straight. Leader isn’t with you, and he’s not with us, which means he’s either taking shelter or...outside.” Sideswipe calmly proclaimed. 

“If Leader’s in trouble we have to go out and look for him!” Mira declared, a rare frown on her usual cheery face. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll find him.” Veera reassured. 

“Let’s all split up and look for him. He won’t be far, look along the routes to Shuichi’s and Leader’s house.” Ace took command, directing the members to different segments. 

“Will you be alright, Shuichi? You don’t have to go outside if you don’t want to.” Pigtails explained, knowing this was hard for him. 

“No way! I can’t leave him outside— if he is. I can’t let him die!” Shuichi’s voice broke in the middle of the sentence, already tearing up. 

“We’ll find him. Besides, even though he doesn’t look it, he’s strong.” Pigtails gave him a warm smile even if he couldn’t see it. 

“I know...I know.” Shuichi replied numbly and hung up, letting everything sink in as he sat on the floor of the cold, empty house. 

_I have to find him. I need to find him…_ Shuichi told himself sternly, hating how he was quivering like a leaf in a storm. 

With a deep breath, Shuichi forced himself to stand, placing his phone in his back pocket before quickly making his way over to the door. “I’m coming, Kokichi.” Shuichi adamantly stated, throwing on his dark blue jacket and pulling on whatever snow boots were closest to him. Then, he opened the door and stepped outside into the freezing wind, a determined look in his eyes. 

“I _will_ find you.” 

* * *

Shuichi resolutely closed the door and began to thoroughly search for Kokichi, leaving nothing unturned. He ran down the sidewalks, looked in shops that were open, and frequently checked in with D.I.C.E. Unfortunately, Kokichi was nowhere to be found, which was why Shuichi was now frantically calling out for Kokichi on the verge of breaking down. 

“Kokichi! Kokichi! Where are you!? Kokichi!” Shuichi yelled, checking down alleys and searching the area for even a hint of purple. “Where _are_ you…?” He could feel the familiar stinging sensation of tears and the rising panic set in, but he wouldn’t break down now. Not when Kokichi needed him. “Kokichi please!” Shuichi desperately pleaded, wanting to hold Kokichi in his arms again to prove that he was _safe_ and _alive._

He still couldn’t see clearly with all the snow in the way obscuring his vision and he was cold too, but that wouldn’t stop him from finding his Kokichi. He wouldn’t stop until Kokichi was in his arms. 

Shuichi ran down another sidewalk, this one eerily familiar despite being barely able to see anything. Trees rustled in the wind, their branches slamming against each other in a twisted, mocking melody. Despite his ever growing fear and turmoil pooling in the pit of his stomach, Shuichi determinedly pressed forward, overcome with the thought and hope of finding Kokichi safe, warm, and alive as he continued down the trail. 

All of a sudden, his foot caught on something large and he tripped, crashing to the floor. “AH!” Shuichi exclaimed in shock, using his arms to protect himself from harm. He landed with a quiet, _*Poof!*_ getting a face full of cold snow. “Ugh...what was that? Ice?” Shuichi shakily sat up and rubbed the snow off his face, blowing heat into his hands to warm up his frozen cheeks.

“Hnnng…” A hushed whimper rang out from behind him. Shuichi whipped around, eyes wide with shock and fear. He looked around for the strange noise but all he saw was an odd lump of snow that he must’ve tripped on. 

“H-hello?” Shuichi called timidly. No response. Shuichi looked around, but found that only the oddly shaped snow was out of place. He took an uncertain step forward towards the glob, being careful not to slip on the ice patch that surrounded it. On further inspection it looked...off. 

“Hello? Is anyone the—” Shuichi stopped walking forward once he realized the distinct neon pink staining the snow around the figure. “...Wh-what…?!” Shuichi gasped and dropped on his knees, scrambling over towards the frighteningly human shaped lump. He began pushing snow out of the way to get a better look at the creature. “H-hey! Are you alr—” Shuichi’s hands froze in place once he saw... _it._

The tips of purple hair and a white straight jacket-esque uniform. He couldn’t believe it...couldn’t believe the frozen body in front of him sprawled out on the ground with phone just a finger tips length away was... _no._

The puzzle pieces snapped into place all too quickly for Shuichi to comprehend, and before he knew it, he was holding the figure in his arms. “KOKICHI!?” Shuichi shrieked, his stomach doing backflips as he held a nearly lifeless Kokichi close to his chest. 

“Hnnng...uuuggghhh…” Kokichi whined, face contorting into one of discomfort as hands weakly dug in to the blue fabric, searching for comfort. 

“Kokichi! Kokichi, Kokichi, Kokichi…!” Shuichi stared into half-lidded eyes, shaking him desperately to try and get _some_ reaction other than that lifeless look. All he got in return was silence. Shuichi made a half-whimpering half-panicked sound and pressed his ear to Kokichi’s chest, listening to the erratic _thump...thump......thump……thump_ of Kokichi's heart. 

Belatedly, he felt a small movement and heard a shocked gasp. “Sh-Sh-Shuichi…? I-I-Is th-that y-y-you…?” Kokichi’s gaze trailed lazily over to Shuichi’s horrified eyes, voice terrifyingly exhausted and shaky. 

“Y-yes! It’s me, Kokichi! I’m here, I’m right here.” Shuichi cupped the side of his face with a hand, stroking the freezing skin with his thumb. 

Kokichi leaned into his touch, movements painfully slow. “Sh-Sh-Shumai-i-i? Wh-where a-a-are w-we? Wh-wh-what’s g-going o-o-on?” He struggled to get up, but his body was far too feeble to do anything other than lay there helplessly. 

“Easy, easy...don’t move around so much, just save your strength.” Shuichi cooed, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around Kokichi. He didn’t care if he got hypothermia, he just wanted Kokichi to be safe and warm again. Not like this. Shuichi hated seeing Kokichi freezing and clinging onto consciousness. 

“I-I-I’m s-s-so...d-dizzy…” Kokichi mumbled with a voice far _too_ weak to be talking. 

“Hey, hey...shh. It’s going to be alright now, you’re going to be fine. I’m going to get you home and warm you up. You just—” Kokichi’s eyes began to falter dangerously, on the brink of closing. “No don’t do that! You need to stay awake! You can't close your eyes!” Shuichi pulled back the hand supporting Kokichi’s head in order to shake him, but when he drew it back it was covered in blood. 

Fear exploded in his chest as his environment became fuzzy and everything seemed to melt away except for the broken boy in his arms. “Kokichi, listen to me. You _can’t_ close your eyes, understand?” Shuichi cried, cradling Kokichi like a baby as he pocketed his phone and got up. 

“B-But m-m’s-so...s-s-so...t-tired...c-can’t I-I-I...r-rest th-them? I-I...w-won’t...g-g-go t-to s-sleep...p-promise.” Kokichi slurred in an almost unintelligible voice. 

“I know it hurts and I know you’re tired, but you _need_ to stay awake! If you close your eyes you could d-die! I c-can’t imagine a world without you...Please, y-you have to stay awake, can you do that for me?” Shuichi pleaded, hands tightening onto Kokichi’s limp body. 

_“...”_

“...K-Kokichi!?” 

_“...”_

Shuichi hesitantly looked down at Kokichi’s now half-sleeping, half-closed eyes, and ashen face. The only sounds he made were gaspy, shallow, and wheezing breaths that came out far _too_ lightly. “No...no, no, nonononono! Kokichi, don’t go! Don’t leave me, _please!_ ” Shuichi’s voice was filled with desperation and terror as he drew Kokichi closer to him. 

“J-just hold on for a little longer! We’re a-almost home!” Shuichi kept a careful hold on him as he ran through the blinding white snow. 

With each step Kokichi’s breaths became a little bit slower, his eyes became a little heavier, Shuichi’s steps became a little bit faster, and the snow rained down harder than ever. 

_I won’t let you die, I won’t let you die, I won’t let you die!_ Shuichi repeated like a mantra in his head, passing the now closed store from before. “We’re almost there—! Ko...kichi?” Shuichi stopped in horror once he realized...Kokichi’s eyes were shut. 

_“NO!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost 500 hits????? This????? Is?????? Amazing???? Gah, thank you guys so much for reading, commenting, and giving kudos! It really means a lot to me!! I love all of you <3


	3. Cold As Ice

The door slammed open with so much force that it shook the entire 3 floored house. Shuichi stepped inside, breathing heavily as he carried an unconscious Kokichi in his arms. He was cold, wet, and overall exhausted, but that paled in comparison to what Kokichi felt like in his arms. 

Kokichi was soaked from head to toe, his lips were a dangerous shade of blue, he was shaking violently, and he let out quiet puffs of air that shouldn’t even be qualified as breathing. As they stepped inside the warm air wrapped around the two in a giant blanket, engulfing them in a welcoming hug. “We’re home Koko...you’re safe. Y-you’re going to be fine now, I promise. P-please, d-don’t leave.” Shuichi was pleading to him now, hands clasping Kokichi’s in a tight hold as he hushed any whimpers that came out of Kokichi’s mouth. 

Shuichi whispered sweet reassurances in his ear while he walked up the stairs to the bathroom with urgency. He sat him down on the fluffy mat with his back against the tub and peeled off the ice cold layers of clothing sticking to Kokichi’s poor, shivering body. “Nnnngh…” Kokichi unconsciously whined, mumbling out nonsensical things that just seemed like gibberish. 

Shuichi wanted to burst into tears or scream or curl up into a ball with Kokichi held snuggly in his arms. Seeing him suffering like this caused an unbearable ache in his heart that hurt more and more with each second that passed. If only he found him a little sooner, then maybe he could’ve prevented all of this. Maybe if he hadn’t of rushed him to come home he wouldn’t be half dead. Maybe— Shaking his head from the degrading thoughts, Shuichi focused on the only important thing right now; Getting Kokichi warm. 

Shuichi immediately started to gather Kokichi’s wet clothes and place them in the tub. Wrapping a towel around Kokichi’s body, he kneeled down in front of him and dried off his hair, planting a worried kiss on his cheek as he did so. Just before he was about to get up and find dry, comfortable clothes for Kokichi he was suddenly stopped when a quivering, cold, frail hand grasped his in desperation. “...Sh-Shuichi…d-d-don’t g-go!” A meek, distressed whine escaped Kokichi’s throat. 

Shuichi ceased his movements when he heard his anguished cry, body freezing up at the quiet plea. The hand started to go limp within seconds, Kokichi’s head lolled forward and his body slumped, but he still held on with determination. Violet, unfocused eyes tried to lock onto his golden gaze, the soft orbs practically screaming for him stay. 

Lagging, Shuichi stumbled over his stupor and quickly dropped to his knees, a gentle expression on his face. “Hey, hey...I’m not going to go anywhere, I just needed to get you warm clothes, that’s all.” Shuichi gave him an affectionate smile, although, it was used to cover up the overwhelming amount of shattering and cracking his heart was going through seeing Kokichi in such a fragile state. 

“A-a-am...I-I-I...g-going t-to...d-die!? I-I d-don’t w-w-want t-to d-die!” Kokichi’s grip tightened on Shuichi’s wrist, wide eyes filled with fear and terror stared up at him. 

He had never seen Kokichi look so... _scared_ before. The sight of small tears rolling down Kokichi’s cheeks completely _broke_ Shuichi’s heart into a million tiny pieces. “Shh, shh...look at me ‘Kichi, you’re not going to die, I won’t let anything happen to you. Understand? I won’t let anything hurt you, I’m here.” Shuichi wrapped his arms around Kokichi and rubbed his back, gently reassuring him with calm and soothing whispers in his ear. 

He felt Kokichi sink into his touch, probably finding him blissfully warm in his delicate state. “It...hurts…” Kokichi gasped out, head falling in the crevice of Shuichi’s shoulder and neck. 

“What? What hurts?” Shuichi was almost afraid to ask, Kokichi never sounded _that_ terrified. 

“...” No sound could be heard except for a quiet exhale of breath and a whimper before Kokichi’s grip on him went slack and his head lolled to the side into his neck. 

Shuichi gasped at the sudden action, quickly pulling away to see Kokichi passed out once again. “Oh... _Kokichi_ …” Shuichi wiped away the tears beginning to form and carefully untangled himself from Kokichi’s arms. He briskly stood up and dashed down the hallway into their shared room, grabbing whatever comfortable clothes were closest to him, he rushed back into the bathroom. 

With the utmost care a human being could possess, Shuichi dressed him in pajamas and wiped away the dried blood on the back of his head, then carried him to the bedroom, tenderly setting him down and tucking him in to the extremely fluffy and cozy blankets. 

Kokichi was still holding onto him as if he were a teddy bear, brows furrowed in distress. Shuichi carefully pulled away the hands wrapped around his neck, pretending not to hear the whine of discomfort as he did so. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.” Shuichi whispered before pausing with a hushed, “Sweet dreams, my little leader…” He affectionately caressed Kokichi’s cheek, planting a kiss on his forehead as a goodnight. 

“Hnnng...Sshh…” Kokichi mumbled incoherently, meekly clamoring around and tossing and turning in his sleep. Shuichi bit his lip, looking around the room to find _something_ to help Kokichi’s distress. Shuichi’s eyes landed on one of his black hoodies discarded on the floor. He quickly grabbed it and returned back to Kokichi where he carefully slid it onto him. 

Instantly, the creases on Kokichi’s brows softened as he curled up into the hoodie, nuzzling it softly. Shuichi let a sad smile onto his face, fingers stroking Kokichi’s violet hair as he reluctantly drew away from him, wanting more than anything to just lay with him all night and cradle Kokichi in the safety of his arms. “ _*Cough!* *Cough!!* *Cough!*_ ” Kokichi’s wheezing instantly forced Shuichi’s attention to shift to him, worry evident in his eyes. 

“Nnnngh...hnnng…” Kokichi cried, drawing in on himself while the relentless coughs tortured him in his sleep. If that wasn’t enough to break Shuichi’s heart, then his trembling like a leaf in a storm under the blankets did. Shuichi’s heart practically died seeing Kokichi like _this_. Everything about _this_ was just... _wrong_. 

Kokichi was always so invincible and full of energy, but now...now he looked like the little lost boy Kokichi had tried to hide behind thousands of masks and smiles. Shuichi felt himself longing to wrap him up in a hug and whisper sweet, reassuring nonsense in his ear, telling him that he was safe and loved. Something Kokichi was deprived of having since childhood. 

Shuichi found himself catching his arm from reaching out to him, however he couldn’t fulfill that fantasy now, not when Kokichi was _dying_ and needing his help. _What are you doing!? This isn’t the time to cuddle! Help him!_ Shuichi berated himself sternly. 

Forcing down a sob and tearing his eyes away from the scene he hesitantly turned around and left the room, frantically running down the stairs to find _something_ — _anything_ to ease Kokichi’s pain. “He probably has a concussion...most likely from falling on the ice back there. And since he was outside for who knows how long he could have severe hypothermia. I don’t like the sound of those coughs either...” Shuichi began mumbling all the facts under his breath, a nervous habit that he couldn’t break as he searched the cabinets for various medical supplies. 

“Ibuprofen...Aspirin...Advil...aha! Tylenol!” Shuichi grabbed the Tylenol in a frenzy and raced over to the couch, grabbing pillows, blankets, the likes. “Ah! What about bandages!?” Shuichi ran back over with the supplies in his arms and found a small roll of pristine, white gauze. “Can’t forget about the thermostat either—Woah!” In his mania, Shuichi had tripped over one of the blankets and fell to the ground in a heap of sorrow and anxiety. 

“Agh! What am I doing I don’t even know where to start!” Shuichi scrambled up in a panicked state, never feeling so completely helpless before. Kokichi needed help but he had no idea how to provide it. In other words...he was a mess. “Ugh! I doubt any vehicle can get here due to this weather...the hospital is too far away...and Kokichi’s getting weaker by the second! Think Shuichi, think!” He rubbed a hand through his hair, visibly distressed as his detective brain searched for answers. 

Suddenly, a solution popped into his head. “Wait...that’s right!” Without a second thought Shuichi grabbed his phone and called the person that could be of help in this situation. He just hoped that she was awake... _*Ring...Click!*_ He almost jumped at how fast the other line picked up, who knew someone else would be awake at this ungodly hour. 

“Sh-Shuichi?! Wh-why are y-you c-calling s-so l-l-late?” A high pitched, stuttery voice squealed. 

“M-Mikan! I need your help.” Shuichi frantically spluttered out, knuckles turning white from grasping the phone too hard. 

“I-is something wrong!? Wh-what c-can I d-do to h-help?” Mikan’s voice changed into a more serious one at the end, fully intent on trying to be useful. 

“I found Kokichi in the snow— at least an hour ago. The hospital was too far away so I decided to take him back home to warm him up, but I don’t even know where to start! H-he’s shivering, his lips are blue, he’s coughing badly, he slurs his words, he doesn’t seem to comprehend what I’m saying and I think he’s concussed and—” Shuichi had to pause, finding it hard to describe his lovers condition without breaking down into a sobbing mess. “—I don’t know how to help him...please Mikan, do you know what to do?” Shuichi would of had no idea what to do next if Mikan said no, but fortunately Nagito was on his side. 

“D-don’t worry! From the description i-it sounds like he h-has hypothermia, i-it can b-be t-treated but you sh-should really g-get him t-to the hospital when th-the snow clears u-up, just in c-case. For n-now you sh-should bring him somewhere warm, wrap h-him up in blankets, and warm h-him up by pl-placing a hot water bottle o-on his chest or neck. You c-can also apply a h-heating pack there, b-but not on his a-arms or l-legs. Give him warm drinks that d-don’t contain alcohol or caffeine a-and give him soup or other soothing foods. I-if he does h-have a concussion then w-wake him up e-every two or three hours. I-I’m sorry I couldn’t be much of a h-help!” Mikan apologized profusely, Shuichi could practically imagine her bowing in embarrassment. 

“No, you were a great help. Thanks Mikan, I owe you.” Shuichi forced himself to keep his voice level, however he was far from calm. 

“Y-you don’t o-owe me a-anything, b-but I-I’m glad I c-could be of s-some use t-to y-you! C-call me if a-anything ch-changes in his condition.” 

“I will...goodbye.” Shuichi finished sadly, hanging up the phone as he slumped back into the kitchen chair. He sat there for several seconds before bringing his hands up to his face, letting out a sad sigh he held his head in his hands. “This is all my fault…” Shuichi whispered brokenly, massaging his temples to prevent the stabbing ache from getting worse. “ _*Cough!* *Cough!!*_ ” More dry, hollow, hacking coughs erupted from upstairs. 

Shuichi whimpered, the sound echoing around him like an endless cacophony bouncing around in his head. Even though his limbs felt like lead with everything that was going on and he just wanted to sit down all night and let the earth slowly reclaim him due to his mistakes, he forced himself to swallow the guilt and get up. With a heavy heart and desolate ache of his bones he picked up the blankets, pillows, and medicine that spilled out on the floor, each item a reminder of the situation Kokichi was in. 

When everything was picked up, Shuichi sulkily walked over to the fridge and grabbed a water bottle. With an almost zombie-like gait, he started to heat up the water bottle, head an endless maze of thoughts and crushing guilt. “I’m so sorry that you ended up in this mess…” Shuichi lamented out loud, fidgeting with his sleeves to distract himself. “If I hadn’t of found you...or if one of the D.I.C.E. members found you too late then,” Shuichi stopped himself from speaking further, not wanting to finish the nightmarish sentence. Then it hit him. 

“Wait, D.I.C.E.! They’re still out in the cold!” Shuichi scrambled to pick up his phone and dial D.I.C.E.’s contact number, stomach churning and tying into knots when the taunting ringing filled the house. After the fourth ring, the line finally picked up, much to Shuichi’s relief. 

“Shuichi!? D-did you find him!? We haven’t seen h-him a-anywhere, we’re getting w-worried!” A clearly pained, concerned voice cut through the whistling of wind and heavy snow. 

“Sideswipe, I-I found him.” Shuichi cursed the fact that his voice came out so shaky and weak, he needed to be strong in this moment but found that he just...couldn’t. 

“What happened? Is he ok!?” Veera joined in, blatantly scared of his answer. 

“He’s...not doing so well.” Shuichi admitted, tone regretful and empty. 

“What do you mean he’s not doing so well!?” Twister seethed, unusually impatient. 

“K-Kokichi...I-I found him outside in the snow. He was freezing and shivering a-and I think he’s concussed. He started coughing and I’ve n-never seen him so scared before. I-I hate seeing him like this but I can’t get him to a hospital, the snows blocking the roads.” Shuichi swiped at the small water droplets forming near his eyes, attempting to put on a brave face but failing. 

He heard shifting and mumbling coming from the other end of the line before Sideswipe spoke again. “Will he…” A pause, “Will he make it…?” 

“Sideswipe, I...I don’t know.” Shuichi answered truthfully, voice barely above a whisper. 

More mumbling and several shocked gasps could be heard, followed by angry yelling. “Do you need us to come over? We’re 45 minutes away but if Leader’s in trouble—” Ace stopped, shooting a withering glare at some of the arguing members who instantly quieted down. “—then we’ll do anything to make sure he’ll be ok.” 

“Thank you...but you can’t. The storms getting worse and I can’t risk getting all of you hurt.” Shuichi reasoned, casting a glance upstairs when he heard more coughing. Ace seemed to hear the coughing too, his breath hitching at the gaspy wheezes. 

“That’ll probably be for the best...I don’t think Leader would forgive us if we got hurt trying to help him. Please, call us if he gets better.” Or worse, was the unspoken sentence that the two didn’t want to say. 

“I will, thank you.” 

“Oh, and Shuichi...take care of him, please.” Ace sounded desperate, exhaustion and worry evident in his words. 

“...” He tried to open his mouth to say something but found that no sound came out, all he felt was a desolate, heavy despair. “Y-Yeah.” Shuichi choked out after realizing he was taking too long. The phone went dead with his response. 

The water bottle had finished heating up a while ago but Shuichi was stuck in a haze, his mind told him to move however his body didn’t obey. He had never felt so lost before, it felt like his world was crumbling and falling down with each hacking cough that spilled from Kokichi’s mouth. 

Pulling himself out of stupor, Shuichi opened the microwave and took the water bottle, dragging his numb limbs upstairs to where Kokichi lay. 

Opening the door, he was greeted with a heart shattering sight. Kokichi was curled up in the smallest ball possible, shivering so much that he was practically convulsing, eyes shut tightly that the rest of his face was scrunched up in pain, and looking absolutely miserable. 

Upon Shuichi’s arrival, Kokichi had subconsciously stretched out an arm towards him and let out a soft whimper, just as trembly and weak as a baby kitten. Shuichi found himself threading his fingers through Kokichi’s, stroking his small, fragile, and _cold_ hand with his thumb. 

“Hnnng…” Kokichi mewled, shifting closer towards Shuichi. 

“Shh, shh...you’re ok. Rest as long as you need.” Shuichi cooed, hushing any whimpers that escaped his mouth with quiet strokes and rubs. 

After some time of soothing his pain-stricken partner, Shuichi picked up the water bottle and placed it on Kokichi’s chest, smiling fondly when he curled around the warmth. “I’ll be right back, just rest while I make you some soup.” Shuichi ruffled Kokichi’s hair and planted a loving kiss to his forehead. 

Then, he got up and quietly shut the door, ignoring the need to stay with Kokichi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRRRRY THIS IS SO LATE! I was a bit busy but worry not! I have already finished this whole thing and will continue with less sporadic updates! ^-^ Once again, thank you for reading!!


	4. Bleak December

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Looks at last update*  
> *Checks calendar*  
> ...happy one month anniversary of me not updating! To celebrate I'm uploading another chapter...but I can explain! Tests and Finals have been repeatedly kicking me in the stomach and this coming month will be the last of all of it! Thank you for being patient with me!! For being great, have a longer chapter! (This one I'm a bit more proud of) Enjoy!

_Pain. Dark. Freezing. Scared._ These were the first things Kokichi felt when he came to. That, and the muddy mess and hazy fog that was called his head. 

Kokichi struggled to open his eyes, feeling as if they were glued shut or his eyelids had weights on them. Finally, after a few minutes he got them open, instantly regretting the decision. The room started spinning not 5 seconds after he opened his eyes, and he immediately wanted to shut them, but doing so would make him struggle to open them again and continue the never ending cycle of pain. 

A strange haziness clouded his vision, blurring out everything around him. Kokichi raised his hand to swipe at the fog, but only ended up slapping himself in the face. “Uuuggghhh…” Kokichi groaned, not even attempting to move his hand off his face due to the sheer tiredness he felt. 

Instead, he opted to bury himself under the heavy blankets, but it was no use. They only provided a small amount of heat that did nothing to chase away the icy, numb feeling that settled deep into his bones and made him feel like a walking ice cube. 

Kokichi huffed, confused as to why he was shaking so badly and why his head was _killing_ him. “Was’net’s…? Fall’n...off...off th’bed—! _*COUGH!*_ ” _*THUD!*_ Kokichi had coughed so hard that it shook his tiny frame and wound up knocking him off the bed. 

He was sprawled out haphazardly on the floor, blankets trapping his limbs and pinning him to the ground. “I wa’ bein’ sarcastc’...!” Kokichi mumbled into the wood, making no effort to move as he lay there like an emotionally drained starfish. 

He attempted to lift his head up to see his surroundings, but found that he was far too exhausted and too cold to even lift his fingers. Instead, he laid there for who knows how long, taking deep breaths and curling up in the blankets that fell with him. He was so _cold_ and _tired_ and everything _hurt._

Whenever he tried to think back to what happened, how he got here, and a trillion other things all he got was a splitting headache and blinding white pain. Kokichi would've much rather preferred to lay on the floor for eternity but after hugging the ground for awhile, he decided to stop being so weak because _Supreme Leader’s aren’t weak—_ and stand up to investigate. 

Bracing himself, Kokichi used all the strength he possessed to force himself to sit up. 

...Only to fall right back down again in a heap of pain. “Ghh...Supreme...Leader’s can't be...so helpless...” Kokichi whimpered, staring up at the ceiling as he panted from the effort. “I...I have to...ge’up…” Kokichi paused as soon as he said the words as blinding white pain split through his skull and erupted in his head. His vision was overcome with a hazy image, blinding and painful. 

_~Kokichi’s shaking arms collapsed under the weight, sending him face planting into the cold, hard, ground. “Nnnngh…” Kokichi whimpered, trying again and again to pick himself up off the ground because_ Supreme Leaders aren’t weak. _“Ge’up!” He yelled at himself in frustration, as if simply saying that command would allow him to stand.~_

Kokichi let out a scream of agony as the picture faded out of his mind as soon as it came, leaving him to grasp at straws of what exactly _that_ nightmare was. The more he tried to think about what happened, the faster it left. The memory(?) fading back into the darkness of Kokichi’s mind while he was left in the dark with a terrible feeling of dread. 

Disoriented from the previous event, Kokichi took a few minutes to collect himself and even out his breathing. The action was proving to be hard however, because breathing felt like hundreds of heavy objects were on his chest preventing him from being able to fully inhale. Not to mention the fact that whenever he tried to take a deep breath he was on the verge of coughing. How did he get to be such a mess? 

After waiting several more minutes, Kokichi focused on trying to pick himself up. With a shaky hand, Kokichi feebly reached up and grasped the corner of the nightstand. With the other, he latched onto the bed and pulled himself upwards. 

Almost instantly, vertigo and nausea overwhelmed his senses and plunged his head into a dizzying, swirling mess. Clenching his teeth and shutting his eyes, he pushed through the unbearable agony and willed himself to stand, ignoring the way his head was screaming at him and the need to stop moving and curl up in the warm, protective, oddly comforting blankets that smelled of musty old books and lavender— he stopped before the thought got too tempting. 

Kokichi still needed to figure out where he was and what happened to him, the last thing he could remember before blinding darkness was that he needed to go somewhere. But where? Where did he need to go? Wherever it was, it created a warm, fuzzy feeling in his face and chest and his heart sped up more. Strange. 

Kokichi shook his head, focusing on the task to stand and not fall over like an infant. He still needed to get up. Several more minutes of struggling later and Kokichi had successfully stood up...kinda. He was holding onto the nightstand with a death grip, legs shaking so badly that they were on the verge of collapsing again. 

Holding in a cough, Kokichi steadied himself with the nightstand and took a look around the room. He found that he was in a large, dark blue room with a two-person bed and a dresser on the left side. Several checker boarded sheets lay lazily on the bed while the rest were on the ground, courtesy of Kokichi’s fall. 

A water bottle was half buried in the sheets, leaving him to wonder why there was a water bottle in the first place. Kokichi looked down at himself and discovered that someone removed his regular straight jacket-esque uniform and replaced it with a giant, black, oversized hoodie. And...under that was a white, long-sleeved pajama top and bottoms with small baby Koala’s printed on both clothes? 

The pajamas fit him perfectly, and even though he wouldn’t admit it, he found them amazing. And No! He wasn’t cute! He’s a Supreme Leader of Evil! Evil Leaders weren’t cute! 

Blushing slightly, Kokichi quickly looked up and scanned the room, discovering that this place gave him an odd sense of deja vu. 

His eyes landed on a picture, and upon further inspection, found that two figures standing in front of a walkway of Sakura trees sat on the nightstand. The person on the left wore all black and was hugging the person dressed in white on the right. From their expressions, the two seemed extremely happy, but there was something familiar about that picture. Especially the person in black. However he couldn’t make out any other details. 

Kokichi squinted his eyes to get a better look, trying to blink back the fog and blurriness suffocating his vision. It didn’t do much good, he only ended up giving himself a massive headache. Sighing in frustration, Kokichi closed his eyes and massaged his temples, completely overwhelmed by everything going on. _Stop...acting so...weak…! Find out...where you...are and then...then…_ Kokichi lost his train of thought, brows creasing in confusion as he searched his brain for what he was going to say. 

“Uuuggghhh! Wh’s th’s so frustrating…!?” Kokichi groaned, hating how he couldn’t remember anything from several hours ago, much less a few seconds. It was terrifying, to put it lightly. He was injured, cold, confused, and had no recollection of what happened prior. One thing he did know, was that whoever found him and laid him down might be a threat. He couldn’t trust this person. Whoever they were. 

Suddenly wary and afraid, Kokichi’s hazy mind kicked into overdrive. Before he knew it, he was slowly letting go of the safety of the nightstand and began moving forward towards the door. Just as soon as he left the nest of blankets, the cold, frigid feeling started crawling up his spine and spread over his whole body. 

The eerie, bleak, bitterness seemed to dampen his clothes and slow his movements, simulating the feeling of trudging through a swamp in a rainstorm. Kokichi was using every ounce of strength and will power he had left to place one foot forward and ignore the growing ache in his bones. 

Gripping onto the left wall, Kokichi slowly but surely made his way to the door with a crack of light leaking through the shadowy, dark room. He dragged his heavy feet forward, fingers barely an inch away from the doorknob. He was _so close_ now. 

“GAH!” A bolt of fiery lightning stung Kokichi’s skull, making his hand shoot up to hold his head as another image assaulted his conscience. 

_~He raised up a trembling hand, fingers so close yet so far from the small, blue button that could change everything. Unfortunately, before he could his vision suddenly shifted to red, pink blood oozed down his forehead and into his eyes, obscuring his sight and bringing his hand to wildly swing downwards next to the cold metal. “N...no…! M’so...close…! Only...a...lil’...farth...er…” He was_ so close. _~_

Kokichi’s eyes were screwed shut, the painful throbbing of his head was getting worse by the second. The memory(?) burned in his head, sending bolts of white hot agony bouncing around his skull the more he thought. It felt like someone was drilling through his skull with a jackhammer, the relentless pain kept on coming. Just like the previous flashback(?), it disappeared into the catacombs of Kokichi’s mind, leaving him lost and scared with no idea where he was. 

Panting, Kokichi regained his balance and looked up, discovering that he was on the floor with the door right in front of him. Forgetting about the pain and instead focusing on getting out, he reached up towards the door. After what felt like years Kokichi weakly grasped the doorknob and pulled himself up, giving a small shout of accomplishment as he did so. 

He leaned all of his weight against the door, completely and utterly exhausted from the small trip. _Wha’s wih’...m’today!? Why...can’t I...see straight…?_ Kokichi put a hand over his mouth as he shut his eyes tightly. The room was spinning _too_ fast. His surroundings blurred together and the room threatened to swallow him whole. His stomach started retaliating against him even though he had no food in him and he just wanted everything to _stop._

The pain and the cold and the tiredness kept on increasing by the second. Kokichi desperately wanted to trudge back into bed and bundle himself up in covers, forgetting about all the pain and large gaps in his memory. He wanted to be held in his boyfriend’s arms and be told sweet reassurances that soothed him. He wanted— _wait._

Kokichi’s eyes widened at the sudden memory that crash landed into his conscience. This one was pleasantly soft and warm compared to the other blinding ones. This cozy feeling of being bundled up by the fire drinking hot cocoa...That’s where he was headed before! He had left V.I.C.E’s— no, _D.I.C.E.’s_ headquarters to go back to his boyfriend but something happened along the way. 

Whatever it was, it made Kokichi’s head throb and made icy needles stab him with every movement. But now he was here, in someone’s house, who knows how far away from his boyfriend. The reality set in far too fast for Kokichi’s liking, and before he knew it he found himself outside the door. 

A wide hallway greeted him, and Kokichi could feel his legs ache at the walk ahead. Bracing himself against the wall, Kokichi started taking baby steps forward, stopping every few feet to catch his breath. ...It took 5 minutes for him to just get halfway. To say he wasn’t doing that great was an understatement. “Uuuggghhh!” Kokichi groaned as he pressed his face against the side of the wall, too tired to form actual words and finding keeling over rather appealing in this moment. 

“I can’t...rest’ere...need to...keep...going…” Despite everything in his body and mind screaming for him to stop pushing himself, Kokichi blatantly ignored it like always. Instead, he kept pressing on, willing himself to stay awake and not pass out. 

Kokichi didn’t know how he managed it, but he had made it all the way down the hall and to the stairs. His next challenge would be going down the stairs. ...Was it too late to keel over now? 

Letting out a quiet cough, Kokichi grasped onto the railing with a death grip and held on for dear life. _You...got this...it’s just...one foot n’ front...of the other..._ Holding his breath, he placed one shaky foot on the step and froze, body teetering dangerously. Balance was clearly going to be an issue. _Take it...easy...nice and slow…_

By some miracle, Kokichi had gotten down most of the stairs without any further injury. Granted, me _might’ve_ lost his balance on nearly all the stair steps or took several minute breaks every 3 steps. But Kokichi was extremely stubborn and continued to push himself way too hard with all his injuries. It was amazing how he hadn’t collapsed from sheer exhaustion yet. 

But he refused to ever ask someone for _help._ He was too prideful for that. Deciding that he earned a break, Kokichi leaned against the rail of the stairs and looked around. 

To his left was a large living room and a T.V. accompanied by a sofa and two chairs. There were two other doors on either side of the living room, the left one was an office looking room with a cozy chair and wooden desk held stacks of messy papers and...8 cups of coffee mugs. Kokichi decided not to comment on that. 

The room on the right was too far away and made his vision blur the more he focused on it. Straight ahead of him was the front door, coats and shoes were haphazardly spread about indicating that someone was in a rush. To his right there were three other doors and a kitchen that emanated a blinding light at the end. Kokichi hissed when it hit his eyes, his head sending angry jabs of pain at him. 

With a shiver, Kokichi shut his eyes to stop the constant pulsing and snuggled deeper into the hoodie, the bitter chill still clung to his skin and bones and wouldn’t let him go no matter how much he struggled. He just wanted to lean there until the hoodie swallowed him up in it’s comfortable smell and soft touch. 

Everything around him felt so familiar but he couldn’t understand why. It aggravated him to a point where he wanted to pull his hair out and hit his head against a wall until the memories returned to him. He just wanted to be with his boyfriend...not here with a possible threat in the house. 

Kokichi slumped further against the railing, closing his eyes to soothe the now budding headache. The information he gathered didn’t help him discern where he was. He only knew that whoever helped(?) him was a _huge_ coffee addict. 

Kokichi sighed and rubbed his tired eyes, half considering going back up the stairs and down the hallway of hell to go back to sleep. Before he could decide, a loud noise erupted from the kitchen. _*Clang!*_

“Ah!” Kokichi’s head shot up like a rocket, eyes wide as they frantically searched around the room for the source of the sudden noise. 

Just as soon as he did so, he instantly regretted it. “Gh!” Kokichi stifled a whimper of pain as his headache blossomed into a full blown migraine from looking up too fast. 

The hissing and ringing started to come back full force, drowning out any sound around the poor, concussed boy. “I...gh! Need...to get o-out...of here…!” Kokichi quickly decided as he clutched his throbbing head and stumbled blindly around for an exit. 

The only thing he was focusing his will power and attention on was _not_ falling on the floor like an idiot or alerting the person who made the sound. 

Kokichi dragged his lead filled legs around the haze, heading towards a bright light that _must_ be the exit. 

Reaching out a desperate hand, Kokichi practically jumped towards the blinding light, head so incredibly hazy and eyes so foggy and dazed that he hadn’t realized he was heading straight for the kitchen…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and being awesome!!!!


	5. Hot Chocolate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for not uploading!! I'm terrible XD But to make up for it, here is the final chapter!! I hope you all enjoy!  
> <3

Shuichi was sitting down on a chair with his elbows folded on the island in the middle of the kitchen drowning in a pool of guilt. Kokichi’s phone was resting in Shuichi’s right hand as sad, gold eyes stared at a message that never sent. 

_Me: Shiuh i hel b i tih nk i nee b togo t t he hop it a [Send]_

Shuichi kept on staring at the words, eyes beginning to fill with tears that he wouldn’t let fall. “I-I’m so sorry, Kokichi...i-if I got th-there sooner...I sh-should’ve been there…” Further he sank into his pit of misery, the pain and agony that was painted on Kokichi’s face was _too_ clear and _too_ fresh in his mind. “I’m sorry…” Shuichi whispered tearfully, voice cracking in the middle of the statement. 

He didn’t know who he was apologizing to, Kokichi? Himself? It didn’t really matter. All that mattered was getting Kokichi warm and healthy again. But Shuichi couldn’t bring himself to get up, the guilt was eating away at him too much. Thoughts of ‘what if’ and ‘should of’ bounced around in his head, drowning out any sound near him. 

In fact, he was so focused on his self-deprecating thoughts that he hadn’t realized Kokichi’s phone slip out of his hand and onto the island. _*Clang!*_ “Ah!” Shuichi jumped back in shock, heart racing wildly in his chest. 

Once he realized what he did, his face blossomed a flattering shade of pink. _Way to go, Shuichi._ He thought sarcastically to himself, picking up the phone to assess the damage. 

Luckily, nothing was scratched or broken, much to his relief. Kokichi would’ve probably flung a pillow at his face or tickle him as an act of “torture” for punishment if he scratched his phone. Right when he was about to get back to self-loathing, a loud _*Thud!!*_ followed by an anguished whimper sounded from outside the kitchen. 

Shuichi froze as his blood turned to ice, eyes going unbelievably wide as he turned around to find Kokichi standing in the doorway. He was wearing one of Shuichi’s black sweatshirts that was obviously way too big for him. The sweater was loosely clinging to his thin frame while one side was slipping off his shoulder. He stood there, eyes unfocused and hazy as he brought a small hand to rub them to clear his already fuzzy vision. 

The sight was incredibly endearing and utterly adorable, Shuichi felt his heart speed up and his cheeks flush. Messy hair that stuck out at odd angles bobbed up and down as Kokichi nodded off, flickering on the edge of consciousness and unconsciousness. Neither one spoke, each too caught up in a staring contest of wonder to do anything. 

“K...Kokichi?” Shuichi choked out, barely believing what his eyes were seeing. 

“Wh-who…? Wh-where?” Kokichi’s eyes went wide as he started to back up, only now realizing someone was there. 

Shuichi understood instantly, holding his hands up in gentle surrender as to not frighten him. “Hey, hey. It’s alright, you can trust me. It’s me, Shuichi. Remember?” He spoke in a soft yet firm tone, slowly inching forward towards the obviously stressed out and confused boy. 

In response, Kokichi quickly backed up, back hitting the wall. Frantically, Kokichi turned to face him, blinking rapidly to try and make out the figure standing before him. Kokichi’s mind was running far too fast for him to understand anything going on around him. He was _terrified_ and _scared_ and he had no idea where he was. 

Loud, constant buzzing combined with hazy vision had caused Kokichi’s paranoia to go into overdrive. But even though he was on the edge of screaming and curling up into a little ball to hide he _couldn’t._ Not when someone was watching. He couldn’t let them see this weak side of his, no matter how panicked he was. 

Slipping on a mask, Kokichi stood up as straight as he could and let a wide, teasing grin form on his face. “Nee-heehee, I don’t know who you… _*Cough!*_ are but I’d st-start running if I w-were _*Cough!!*_ you! After all, I _am_ a Supreme Leader of a-an evil _*Cough* *Cough!!!*_ o-organization…?” Kokichi trailed off, eyebrows scrunching up in thought as he tried to recall what he was going to say next. 

“...Oh! And did I mention I have 10,000 m-members all highly trained in…” Kokichi searched for the words that weren’t there, picking uselessly at the hollows of his mind to find the answer. All he got was a headache. Great. “A-anyway…! My members will t-track me down an’...an’...kill you? Yeah...so you better...let me go!” _Nailed it._ Kokichi smiled triumphantly to himself, delivering a...perfect threat. 

Now all he had to do was not pass out and keep up his act. Which would’ve been easy if not for the fact that Kokichi felt like someone was literally drilling a hole through his head while spinning him around and around in an endless circle. 

“‘Kichi? Can you see me? Can you understand what I’m saying?” Shuichi approached him worriedly, concerned that he had just delivered that entire speech to a _spoon._

“Hey…! Don’t speak down upon your...leader like _*Cough!*_ that! I c-control the world! I c-can send you t-to...to...uh, somewhere y-you wouldn't like…! I c-can...ugh—” Kokichi slumped against the wall, the little energy he had left was already leaving him. 

Suddenly, he began to sway dangerously as a wave of vertigo crashed into him and overtook his senses. And just like a puppet with cut strings, Kokichi’s legs gave out from under him and he began to fall towards the floor. Shuichi let out a shocked gasp as he rushed forward and caught Kokichi in his arms, bringing the two down safely onto the floor. “I got you, I got you. You’re ok, it’s me, I’m here, I won’t let anything hurt you, I’m here.” Shuichi whispered frantically into his ear, stroking the soft mop of adorably messy hair with fervor. 

The trembling ball in his arms stilled slightly as violet eyes blinked back the fuzziness clouding his vision. Shuichi continued on holding him like his life depended on it, repeating reassuring phrases and affections to soothe him. Meanwhile, Kokichi was doing everything he could to focus on the person holding him and not succumb to the ever growing darkness eating away at his vision bit by bit. 

The stinging fangs of an icy chill dug into his muscles and caused any minuscule amount of movement to be viciously jabbed with frigid needles. Kokichi was in so much _pain._

He didn’t know how he ended up in such a miserable state but the person holding him provided a strange sense of relief and calmness to wash over him like a gentle breeze. Something in the back of his mind was telling him to _trust_ whoever the stranger was. Which was weird, considering it was, well, _him._

His head must be in worse condition than he thought if he had the urge to trust the potentially dangerous person. He picked his head up off of the strangers shoulder and stared at the gold eyes with cloudy, glazed over ones. “Wh-who...Nnng!” Kokichi barely managed to spit out as a particularly painful throb echoed in his head. He clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut, resting his head against the figures torso for some relief as he waited out the immense pounding. 

Shuichi was at his side immediately, snaking his two arms around Kokichi’s back, he began stroking him calmly and kept his voice low and gentle. “Shh, shh. Stop talking and save your strength. It’s me, it’s Shuichi Saihara. Don’t you remember…? ” Shuichi’s voice held a note of fear as he stroked the boys hair, smiling sadly when Kokichi’s pained expression turned into a softer, muted one. 

Kokichi took several, wheezy breaths as he tried to focus on opening his eyes to see his savior. But the action was hard to do when his eyes felt like they were glued shut and any attempt at moving them open would instantly prompt a pang of discomfort telling him to _stop whatever he was doing and listen to his needs for once in his life._

A low mumbling from above him caught his attention and as he strained his ringing ears to make out what the figure was saying, he only managed to get, “...chi...I’m...br....ng...you...ack...t...bed.” His head hurt too much to decipher what the rest of the sentence meant, but when he heard the word ‘bed’ he found his body sinking into the warm figures touch and practically melting against the calming sound of a rhythmic heartbeat. 

Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around the torso of the person carrying him as well as his legs, head falling into the crevice of the strangers neck. Kokichi didn’t know why he could trust this person, but somehow he had this strange feeling that they weren’t going to hurt him. And as the figure began to gently rock him, Kokichi began to realize how _exhausted_ he truly was. Before he knew it, he had drifted off into a nearly peaceful and painless slumber. 

* * *

The wind whistled and howled like an angry wolf, plunging it’s icy fangs into everything it touched. It prowled inside houses and sank it’s cold, frigid claws into even the most warmest and coziest of places, including a medium-sized house that held a sickly boy and worried partner. At this point it was around 4 in the morning, everyone _should’ve_ been sleeping peacefully in their homes while the blizzard outside raged on. Emphasis on should’ve. 

Shuichi however, was sitting at his lovers bedside tending to his injuries and needs. Currently, Kokichi was burrowed under layers upon layers of soft blankets, coughing in between every wheezy puff of air that escaped the poor boys mouth. Shivers wracked his small body and sent tremors of white hot needles digging into his skin. Kokichi lay there unconscious and barely moving, a grimace of pain seemed to be permanently etched onto his face with each breath. 

Shuichi’s hand was glue to Kokichi’s own, constantly thumbing the frail, small hand in hopes of reassuring both him and Kokichi that _Yes, Kokichi will be fine._ But no matter how much Shuichi told himself that, he couldn’t believe it. He wanted to see Kokichi’s blinding smile and sparkling eyes so full of joy and _life_ that all his problems seemed to melt away at the very sight of Kokichi. 

But this...this Kokichi was an impostor. 

With eyes glazed over and smile drooping into a tight frown, Shuichi found himself looking at a complete stranger. Usually, when Kokichi was sleeping he looked adorable and as innocent as a lamb, but now he just looked... _pained._ And Shuichi found his heart squeezing painfully in his chest every time Kokichi coughed or his breath hitched. 

It was torture just sitting there, unable to help him any further with a blizzard trapping them inside their house. Shuichi slumped in his chair and pressed a gentle kiss to Kokichi’s limp hand, holding it close to his face to gain some form of comfort. “I love you…” Shuichi whispered brokenly, voice cracking and punctuated with the brink of shaky sobs as he cradled the _cold, nearly lifeless hand._ “Th-that’s why...that’s w-why y-you can’t l-leave me, alright?” All he got in return was a pitiful cough and suffocating silence, one that seemed to stretch on for miles. 

Shuichi continued on with his rant, squeezing Kokichi’s hand. “You...you _promised_ me you w-would get h-home safely. B-but now you’re hurt a-and I d-don’t know if you’ll make it throughthenightandI’mso _scared_ and—” He cut himself off, focusing on trying to control his breathing and pounding heartbeat. 

It _hurt_ seeing Kokichi in such a state like this, it _hurt_ seeing his lover blink at him with confused eyes as if trying to recognize who he was, and it _hurt_ to see the fear and untrusting gaze that glared at him when he tried to coax him to get away from the wall and into his arms. _“I’m sorry.”_ Shuichi apologized again, swiping at the tears gathering in his eyes that were threatening to spill over. 

What he didn’t know, however, was that Kokichi was beginning to wake up. 

“I h-hate being s-so useless, Kokichi...I want to help you b-but I don’t know how.” Shuichi sank down in his seat, allowing his self-pity to eat away at his mind. 

“Don't...say that...” 

“AHH!” Shuichi screeched like a tiny mouse, voice reaching an octave he didn’t know he could reach. Instantly, a pillow weakly slapped him in the face for screaming so loud, and if he was honest with himself he deserved that. 

“Owww...M’right here...y’know...” A dazed, sluggish, and mildly annoyed voice cried out. 

Shuichi recovered from his initial shock and instantly launched into an onslaught of questions and apologies, cupping his little leader’s face in his hands with worry. “K-Kokichi! How are you feeling? Do you know where you are? Or who I am? Or— Or— Mmph!” Shuichi was cut off when a hand as trembly and frail as a baby kitten covered his face in weak protest to stop speaking. 

Kokichi blinked up at him wearily before his sudden consciousness began to fade. He opened his mouth to start speaking but nonsensical words and gibberish strung loosely together was the only thing that came out. Shuichi caught something along the lines of, “No...don’t put the spaghetti in the toaster…” before Kokichi slumped back into the fluffy covers and soft pillows with a heartbreaking whine. 

“Wh— hey, you can’t sleep yet! Kokichi!” Shuichi gave him a small shake, eyes trained worriedly on his delayed movements. 

“H-huh…?” Violet eyes sluggishly opened. A pause, followed by slow understanding at what Shuichi had just said. “Ko...kichi? Ko-ki-chi…” He repeated the words softly. They sounded so foreign yet familiar at the same time and it was driving him crazy. 

Shuichi swallowed a lump in his throat and put on a fake smile. “Y-yeah, that’s right. Kokichi. Do you know who that is?” Shuichi swore he could hear his heart cracking. 

Suddenly, Kokichi gasped, eyes focusing on Shuichi as if he just realized he was there. “ _Sh-Shuichi?_ ” The Supreme Leader’s voice sounded so weak and shaky that he could hardly believe it belonged to someone so boisterous and seemingly invincible. 

The smile became even faker. “Y-yes, it’s m-me, i-it’s Shuichi. You’re s-safe n-now, alright? I-I got you.” He tried to keep his voice steady, but the worry, fear, and sadness from before seeped into his words. 

“Wha’ppened…? Why s’everything...hurt…?” Kokichi attempted to sit up to at least save some of his pride, but a gentle yet firm hand placed itself on his chest to stop him from moving. 

Shuichi’s eyes softened, hand moving to stroke his hair. “Y-you need to stay down, you’ll make yourself worse if you move around too much.” He spoke in a mother like tone, light but holding an edge to it if he disobeyed. 

Kokichi’s head cleared slightly, and once Shuichi’s words were registered he internally screamed. What was he doing, being so defenseless and impotent?! He couldn’t show this much weakness and vulnerability, he was a Supreme Leader for crying out loud! He was supposed to be strong and invincible, what would D.I.C.E. think if they saw him? And Shuichi? He already looked like something the cat dragged in, and with every sluggish response or whimper of pain that escaped him Shuichi seemed closer to tears. 

He had to convince Shuichi that he was alright. For him, for D.I.C.E. The last thing Kokichi wanted was for Shuichi to feel hurt because of _him._ He never wanted to see that look of terror again. 

“Can I get you anything? Water? More blankets? Soup? I made some a little bit ago, do you want some?” Shuichi offered with that _concerned look_ , lacing his and Kokichi’s fingers together. 

Kokichi shook his head quickly, but that resulted in the pressure in his head increasing by the tenfold and the room to spin wildly. _Ok, so shaking my head is something I_ shouldn’t _do._ Kokichi reminded himself sternly, smiling through the pain to make that _grief-stricken face_ go away. “Nee-heehee! No...no way…! I’m perfectly fine...I don’t need...don’t need anything. An’ tha’s not a lie...” 

“A-are you sure? You don’t look too good.” He didn’t feel that good either. 

“I’m hurt…! Would I...lie to you…?” Fake tears started gathering his eyes, the action somehow becoming a lot easier than normal. Shuichi frowned at him in response, analytical stare locking on to his every twitch or muted whimper of pain. Shuichi held his gaze for a long time, each second that passed felt suffocating for Kokichi, his act was already starting to fall apart as his energy began to quickly drain. He had to lead the conversation somewhere else, or at the very least distract Shuichi. 

“Anyway…! If you’re done...interrogating...me then we should...should curl up...on the couch and watch...a movie.” A pause, “But that’s a lie…! ...Or...is it?” Shuichi said nothing, his eyes narrowing. 

Kokichi wanted to scream. Guess he would have to resort to plan B. If he couldn't convince him with words, then he would convince him with actions. Kokichi decided to get up to reaffirm Shuichi that he was _perfectly fine._ However, before Shuichi could react Kokichi had quickly launched himself upwards, now sitting up. “S-see? I told you...I was—!” A look of fear flashed across Kokichi’s face like a bolt of lightning. After a few seconds of being upright, the room twisted and blurred in a thousand different ways and his head and ears _hissed_ and _rang_ with anger. The floor came rushing up to meet him as wind rushed past his face. He shut his eyes and braced for the unforgiving impact of the cold, hard ground. ...But it never came. 

* * *

_*Thunk!*_ “H-huh...?” What was supposed to be hard ground was now replaced with something soft and warm, enveloping him in a welcoming hug. Kokichi faintly realized that his face was pressed up against a comfortable, soothing, and unfamiliar warmth with a steady, grounding heartbeat. His fists clenched into the fabric of a black shirt— (It was black, right?) and almost immediately, he felt a sense of blissful calm wash over him like a gentle wave, sweeping him up in the tender tranquility that this angelic creature provided. 

Hands that were once tightly holding onto him came to a halt once they felt his movements. Sluggish, violet eyes started to lazily trail upwards to meet golden, exhausted ones that held sadness and anguish deep within. Kokichi blushed a faint pink, embarrassed by the fact that he couldn’t even get up without falling over. “Kokichi _please._ You can’t push yourself like this too much, let me _help_ you.” Shuichi scolded him gently, picking him up princess style and laying him back on the bed. 

Kokichi looked to the side, not meeting his gaze. “You can’t handle everything alone, I’ll always help you.” Shuichi smiled at Kokichi sympathetically, stroking his hand to calm him. Kokichi huffed, mumbling something lowly. “I didn’t catch that, can you repeat?” Shuichi whispered in a melancholic tone. 

He felt Kokichi stiffen at his words, then, slowly, hesitantly, Kokichi looked up with pain induced tears and locked onto his gaze. “I...s-said...Supreme Leader’s...aren’t weak…” Kokichi spat out, trembling from all the effort and taxing effects of putting up a front for this long. 

Shuichi felt his heart shatter from his heavy words, but he made sure his expression softened into the sweetest and tender smile he could muster as he delivered his truth. “It’s ok to be weak, you can’t be strong all the time.” He pulled Kokichi close as his feather-light touches caressed Kokichi’s shoulder fondly, each rub holding a loving, unexplainable feeling. 

Kokichi looked up with dilated pupils, voice croaky and shaky. “B-but—” Kokichi was silenced with a warm hearted kiss, shushing any thoughts and words. When they parted both were blushing pink, it being more prominent on Shuichi. “Y-you c-can trust me, I’ll take c-care o-of you.” Shuichi stuttered out through a rapidly spreading blush. 

Kokichi slumped into the bed with a look of defeat, hiding his face in the corner of the pillow. “Nee-heehee...wow Shumai...you got bold. I must...be a...good influence…!” Kokichi teased feebly, the once proud smirk diminishing into a smaller, more muted one. 

Shuichi just sighed. “You must be feeling a little better if you’re lying.” 

“Wow…! I’m hurt…! ...But I stll’ feel’ike...I got run o’er by...a truck...twice.” Kokichi mumbled into the pillow, coughing and shivering pitifully. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you. But I am taking you to the hospital or the doctors as soon as this storm lets up, you’ve been out for awhile and I’m concerned about that cough.” Shuichi whispered quietly, not wanting to hurt Kokichi’s concussion induced hypersensitive ears. 

“Mmhmm...worry...’bout la’er…” Came his sleepy reply. 

Shuichi ruffled Kokichi’s messy hair while he got an extra blanket, draping it over his half asleep lover. “Need anything else? Are you hungry? Or—” _*Click!* *Bzzt!*_ Suddenly, the lights flickered off and plunged the whole house into a damp darkness. 

Shuichi whipped around to find that Kokichi had succumbed to sleep, but was shivering viciously, teeth chattering and coughing worse than before as the cold started to creep in. Shuichi, in a quick moment of thinking climbed into bed with him, holding him close to stop his seemingly endless shivering. 

Shuichi watched as Kokichi began to slowly relax into his touch, features becoming soft and less creased with pain. Shuichi kissed his forehead sweetly and held him closer, feeling nothing but blissful calm. “I promise ‘Kichi...I'll always be there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, this story comes to an end. I hope you all enjoyed! Until next time!! (Which will be soon) :D
> 
> ~Snowy


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